Mar 07, 2013 (Close-Up Media via COMTEX) — On behalf of the Cultural Assets Office of the Beijing Municipal Government, Director Huiguang Zhang announced the launch of the 2013 Beijing International Screenwriting Competition.

According to a release, the competition is asking writers to submit both short film and feature film screenplays centered on Beijing and its rich, multifaceted culture. The goal of this initiative is to foster artistic collaboration and an ongoing creative dialogue between China and the US.

Huiguang Zhang will serve as President of the Competition, and film producer Kevin Niu will serve as Chairman. Honorary Competition Presidents will include Vice-Mayor of Beijing Wei Lu and two-time Academy Award-winning director Mark Harris. Harris and Tracey Trench, producer of The Pink Panther and Ever After and consultant for Oriental DreamWorks, will serve as the Competition’s Grand Judges.

“I am thrilled that the Beijing International Screenwriting Competition is taking place at this time in history,” said Huiguang Zhang. “The city and people of Beijing are excited to begin a new era of creative and cultural collaboration with the US.” The 2013 Beijing International Screenwriting Competition said it will provide an opportunity for aspiring and established US writers to obtain international recognition. With no entrance fee, the competition encourages professional writers, students, and the general public alike to submit feature film proposals. The competition for short film screenplays is open to US students only. In keeping with the competition’s “Tale of Beijing” theme, all film submissions must feature Beijing as a location, conveying in some way the romance, mystery, and cultural richness of this great world capital.

“This Competition is one of the first established routes for US filmmakers to obtain direct access to the Chinese market,” said Competition Chairman Kevin Niu. “It will serve as a model for future cultural collaboration between the US and China one that bridges the gap between our two cultures.” Proposals for the initial round of the feature film competition are due April 7, and short film screenplays are due April 20 th. The top finalists for each will be announced in May. In addition to international recognition and cash prizes totaling more than $100,000, all of the finalists will receive all-expense paid trips to Beijing in June where they will have the opportunity to meet with Chinese investors. Additionally, up to seven short film grand prize winners will receive financing for the production of their films. For full submission rules and guidelines, please visit: http://writebeijing.org/competition.

The 2013 Beijing International Screenwriting Competition is sponsored by the Beijing International Creative Industry Corp. Other partners include LeTV and Harvardwood. For more information on the 2013 Beijing International Screenwriting Competition, please visit http://writebeijing.org/.